Fable IV: Return of the Crawler
by BWfreak
Summary: Years after the Crawler's first attack, Theresa warns the ruler of Albion of a second attack.  Now the King must prepare his country to fight him once again.
1. Chapter 1

I do not, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s).

**Chapter 1**

The old blind seer stood at the top of the Tattered Spire, watching over Albion and its people. The day had finally come. The Spire's gift to Theresa was great, but also terrible as it gave her great responsibility to protect Albion once more. She had foreseen the attack from the Crawler, and it was now time to stop him a second time. It was time to warn the King of his second coming, and time to protect Albion again.

* * *

><p>Year after year, the people of Albion came to the royal court, begging for the King's judgment. As a good King he always listened patiently. His brother, Logan, came back several years after the attack on Albion, and now acts as the King's right hand man. Once a tyrannical leader, he has now vowed to serve his country and his King.<p>

"My lord, I have come to you today to seek your guidance in a most pressing matter. It would seem that Esmeralda, my neighbor, has been stealing my chicken eggs! I would like to know what you plan to do about this!"

"Sir, what proof do you have that Esmeralda has been stealing your chicken eggs?"

"Well, none….but I know that it's her! She has always hated me, since the day I bought my house."

"If you have no proof, then I am afraid there is nothing I can do sir." The man, looking angry, walked out of the royal court mumbling indiscernibly about revenge. The King rolled his eyes and, looking exhausted, listened as Logan called the next case forward.

A grungy looking man with a long scraggly beard stepped out of the crowd.

"Your majesty…." The king slouched in his chair as he prepared himself to listen to this man's case. However, after a few moments of silence he came to attention and sat up in his throne. As he looked around he noticed that the whole room had frozen; Logan, the crowd on either side of the aisle, the royal guards, and the man presenting his case. Suddenly, directly in front of his throne, the King noticed a blue glow. Swirls of light flooded the area in front of the throne and, as the brightness died down, the King noticed a woman standing in front of him. It was Theresa, the blind seer.

"Hello King. Surprised to see me again?" The King nodded his head, a bewildered look in his eyes. Since the only time he had ever seen her before was when an attack on Albion was imminent he was slightly worried. As if she could read his mind, she began speaking again.

"Yes King. I come bearing bad news. For years now you have kept Albion safe, and you have done a great job maintain order and peace throughout the kingdom. However, the time has come again to fight for your peace. Sometime soon, the Crawler will attack Albion for a second time. After you defeated Walter the creature descended into darkness, retreating back into the Void to regain his strength. In the years that have passed since then he has done so. He has regained his former glory and has restored his army of shadow warriors."

"But why! Why is the Crawler attacking Albion?"

"That is the first question I aimed to answer. Using the Spire, I looked back and learned the history of the Crawler."

"The Crawler's history spans back further than even I could have imagined. In essence he is the ultimate enemy to Albion. When he started his quest to take over this world, he began by sending three powerful beings; the Knight of Blades, the Jack of Blades, and the Queen of Blades. These three figures later became The Court. The Court had finally gained control of the old kingdom for a time after many failed attempts. After many years and decades of rule without challenge, there finally came one who could defeat them. William Black slew all three members of the Court and sent them back to the Void."

"The Crawler was furious at the Court for being defeated by Black and vowed that he would reclaim Albion. The Hero became the ruler of Albion after that, earning the title of the Archon. Under his rule the kingdom had a span of great peace, and this peace would have lasted under his offspring's rule as well. But the Crawler changed all that. The Archon was too pure a being to corrupt. His children however were far easier to sway. As the Crawler whispered thoughts of hatred and deceit in their ears, they soon became tyrants and the kingdom of Albion fell into disarray. The Archon's descendants, who called themselves heroes, had become corrupted by the Crawler and again he had gained another hold on Albion."

"This was a dark time in the history of Albion, as it is filled yet again with death, despair, and tyranny. Many believe that the last of the Archons were evil rulers and that they were the cause of the destruction of the Old Kingdom. While this is true, the purpose behind the destruction of the Old Kingdom was a noble one. The final Archon had a resistance to the Crawlers whisperings and was a great seer like myself. The Archon saw Albion's darkness and could see how it should have been. To redeem his ancestor's name and wipe the slate clean he ordered the construction of the Spire. His wish was the one that destroyed the Old Kingdom. Any living descendants of the Archon after this time were few and far between and could not be found by the Crawler."

"The Crawler's grasp on Albion was again broken. Infuriated with himself he retreated into the Void in shame where he sat on his throne and festered for many centuries. He finally decided to rise to power again. He poured all of his darkness and power into the Jack of Blades and again sent him from the Void. When the Jack was again defeated by the man who became known as the Hero of Oakvale, the Crawler became furious and took his revenge on the village that produced this great Hero. He began appearing to a man in the village in his dreams. This man soon became infatuated with the visions he was seeing; visions of immortality and of the future. This is when the Crawler sent the Three back to Albion. However, as punishment for failing him centuries before, the Three were sent back as mere shadows, unable to affect the world in which they existed. They became known now as the Shadow Court. They were the ones who made the deal with the man who became known as Reaver. This deal allowed the Crawler to send his shadow warriors into Oakvale and destroy all that it was. He had now gained a strategic foothold in Albion, which became known as Wraithmarsh. This region was soon infested with Hollow Men, shadow warriors, and banshees."

"The Crawler then attempted to gain control of the device that was responsible for one of his major downfalls; the Spire. He used his powers of persuasion and control to inhabit the mind of a man named Lucien."

The King became alert at the familiar name. "Lucien? The man that my father defeated?"

"Precisely. Now do you see that you are only a small part in an on-going battle between the creature that has vowed to destroy this world? What his true motivation is I cannot see. But after you defeated him by killing Walter he swore to destroy you and to again attempt an attack on our world."

"But how am I supposed to stop him when no one else has been able to?"

"You don't. I do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The King stood from his throne. "How are you supposed to defend this kingdom alone? You are going to need my help!"

"Your part as the Hero is over. I have only come to warn you of this attack; to tell you that you must prepare for the next attack upon your lands. I will guide you in this quest. But the responsibility of destroying the creature is mine."

This did not relieve the king. Instead, he only felt more helpless. The seer had not been wrong when she had guided him before, so now he knew that he must follow her advice once again.

"Fine, I will go along with this if I must. You have not steered me wrong yet. How should I begin?"

"Your first quest will not be an easy one. The Crawler has used Wraithmarsh as a base in this world since he claimed it for darkness. This is the first task you must undertake. Destroy the creature's foothold in Wraithmarsh; reclaim the region for Albion and we will be one step closer to banishing him to the Void for good."

"But how am I supposed to expel the darkness from the region? How do I reclaim it for light?"

The King saw a look of bewilderment on Theresa's face for the first time. "That I do not know. You must figure out a way to do this, or your kingdom will be lost; and the world with it." A swirl of blue light began to engulf Theresa and she disappeared. Suddenly the room around the King began moving again and everything continued as if nothing had happened.

The grungy looking man continued speaking his case to the King. "I need your help, sir! This man…"

"I am sorry sir! The Royal Court will hear no more cases today!" The King stood from his throne and nodded to Logan as he walked out of the throne room. The crowd eventually filed out of the throne room and the castle was quiet once again, with only royal subjects and their servants inhabiting the castle.

Logan followed the King into the map room where, in the center, was placed a large table covered in mountains and oceans representing the whole of Albion.

"What's the matter my King? Why did you end court early today? The people will not be happy."

"There is a far more pressing matter than petty squabbles between the citizens of this town Logan! I've just had another visit from Theresa."

"The blind woman from the Spire?"

"Yes. She spoke of the Crawler. He is planning another attack on Albion and has told me to prepare for his coming." Logan's eyes became wild with fear.

"The Crawler! But you killed him! How could he possibly come back?"

"It is a very long story. All you need to be concerned with is helping me to prepare this kingdom for another attack."

"But my lord, neither one of us is fit to fight the creature again. You are far older than you were in the last battle and I was never the Hero you were. Your control of your Will abilities has diminished to little more than parlor tricks and you are far too weak to wield an axe as you once did."

"Logan! Enough of your rambling! I want to hear no more about how weak I am!"

"I am very sorry your majesty!"

"You are excused. All I need you to worry about is finding out how I can get to a place named Wraithmarsh."

"Is there such a place?"

"Somewhere within the boundaries of Albion, yes. I need you to find it for me."

"Yes your majesty, I will." With a nod of his head Logan walked out of the map room. How he was going to find this Wraithmarsh baffled the King, but Logan had rarely let him down since his return, so he had faith in his brother. He could not deny, however, his thoughts of pessimism. The King was much weaker than he was the first time he battled the Crawler. Even though Theresa said she would be the one to fight the creature this time, he still wished that he was more prepared.

In the days of peace since he took over rule of Albion, there had been little to no reason for him to maintain his physique, fighting skills, or Will abilities. He was now realizing what a mistake this was though. He now needed to start training again to regain these abilities that he had lost. The best way he could think of to start his training was to begin taking quests from the people of Albion once more.

"Guard!" The royal guard that was standing outside of the door to the map room entered and stood at attention as he addressed his King.

"Yes, your majesty."

"Spread the word around Bowerstone. I will be taking quests from the people of Albion starting tomorrow."

"Yes sir." As the guard turned to leave, the King stopped him.

"Wait! Send a group to Aurora. We need to warn Kalin that another attack is imminent. They may be the first to be attacked. They must prepare."

"Good plan of action sir." The guard said and marched out of the room to do as he was ordered.

In the days and weeks after he announced he would be taking on quests, many citizens from all across Albion, and even as far away as Aurora, had arrived at the King's royal court. Many had petty requests of the King as they had almost always been. As the months passed though, the influence of the Crawler on the kingdom began to make itself apparent. The favors being asked of the King became more and more perilous, and the people themselves became more hostile towards each other. Soon he became worried that he was wasting time. He had built up his strength and power, and what he had achieved must now be enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After five months of questing, the King finally returned to Bowerstone Castle much stronger than he was. He had improved his strength and control of his Will abilities and now felt ready to take on his first challenge. In his absence, Bowerstone Castle had fallen into a state of upheaval. With the King suddenly taking quests and regaining his strength, there was no longer any way to keep the attack a secret. He had to address the people.

As he entered the map room to prepare his speech he found Kalin there waiting for him.

"Your majesty. I have come to give aid in this time of need. Your royal guards notified me of the creature's return, and I have come to tell you that my people are ready to fight. After tasting freedom, we are not ready to be enslaved by him again. I have set my top warriors in charge of the city, and they have prepared the city for an attack. We will know of any attack days before the Crawler can reach these shores."

"Kalin! It is great to see you again!" The King crossed the room and embraced her. The Auroran way of life was much more conservative than the way people behaved in Albion. She obviously felt awkward about this hug, but as she was in is castle she dealt with it.

"Well this is great!" The King seemed so excited. "But how come you are not in your own city? Why choose Bowerstone over your own people."

"My people have already survived an attack by the Crawler. We have much more experience with the creature. My knowledge can be put to better use here. Bowerstone has only dealt with one attack and they were rescued before the darkness could claim your land. So I will stay and help where I can."

"If you must." The King had a feeling that he might be abandoning the people of Aurora by taking their leader during such a hectic time, but he knew that he needed the help. Her knowledge was a powerful tool that they could use. "Kalin, I must tell the people of Bowerstone of the danger that threatens us. The seer gave me no hint at when the Crawler will attack and my people must know before he arrives."

"Then I must agree with you. We must warn the people."

* * *

><p>When the King announced that he was going to make a speech to his people, the castle and it's grounds were always crowded with the people of Bowerstone. Many times citizens from far off regions showed up as well. When the King announced this speech to be most important he knew the mob would be enormous. As he stepped out of the large wooden doors into the court yard of Bowerstone Castle he saw that he was correct. The crowd filled the court yard, and he could see that it stretched down around the corner and past his field of vision. He could only imagine how far back the crowd had gathered.<p>

"People of Albion! We live in an era of peace and understanding. The world as we know it has become a virtual utopia. However, a threat has come up on us once again. The darkness is spreading across the land, and the creature called the Crawler is preparing another attack on our Kingdom. The time has come again to fight for our land. Preparing for the upcoming battle will be torturous, but I will not abandon my people or my kingdom. I ask that you now do the same. If you have experience in battle please come forward. We need all the help we can get and yours would be much appreciated. It is, of course, understandable to stay with your families. Flee the land if you must; go into hiding. Whatever you do, stay alive! Keep the kingdom of Albion alive!"

The King stood in front of his people for a moment before turning on his heel and walking back into the castle. Slowly a feeling of panic rose up in the crowd. As the people made their way out of the courtyard and back into the city they all seemed in a daze, shocked by the news they were just given.

As the King entered the castle, Logan approached him. "King, I have gone through our study, read through all of father's journals and have discovered the location of Wraithmarsh. Unfortunately, you cannot just walk there. You must take a ship.

"That will take far too long! The creature could be here any moment. Isn't there any other way I could get there?"

"Well, father's journals did speak of a cullis gate made by the powerful mage, Garth, that helped him defeat Lucien. The journals say that this is the only cullis gate that can take us to Wraithmarsh."

"But how are we supposed to find it! That was over fifty years ago. It could be long gone by now."

"The cullis gate was in Garth's home, noted as Brightwood Tower. Brightwood once stood where Silverpines now is. I believe that is where we can find the tower we are looking for." The king looked unsure, but knew that this was the only lead they had so far.

"Ok, we will go to Silverpines and search for Brightwood Tower."

* * *

><p>The next morning, the King, Logan, and a battalion of royal guards made their way out of Bowerstone and toward Silverpines. When they finally arrived, they knew of only one building old enough to be the one they were searching for. When they arrived however, they found a large wrought iron gate blocking their path. Entangled in the gate was a large chain, held shut by a padlock.<p>

"What now?" Logan seemed about ready to give up. Both the King and Logan knew that they possessed no weapons strong enough to cut through either the chain or the gate.

"S-Sir…" One of the royal guards stuttered nervously staring at the ground. "Use your Will." The King raised his hands, staring at his palms as they emitted a faint glow.

"It might work." Logan agreed. Nodding, the King closed his eyes in concentration and raised his hands to the chain. Slowly, the blue glow of his hands began fading to an orange glow and small flames appeared in his palms. As he concentrated harder the flames grew, engulfing his hands in white hot flames. As they began making their way up to his wrists he let out a scream and the flames quickly charged from his hands, slamming into the chain holding the gate shut. Logan withdrew his sword from its sheathe and gave the chain a sharp blow as it glowed red hot. There was a large clink and the chain dropped to the floor allowing the gate to loudly squeak open.

They began walking up the trail leading through the gates and up to the old tower. As they approached the building they noticed that time had worn on it. Cracks now made their way from the foundation up to the roof, and moss and plants had begun growing along the outer walls of the structure. They climbed several crumbling staircases before they finally made it up to the building, finding an old wooden door standing slightly ajar.

The King, peeking through the small opening, noticed movement in the room on the other side of the door. He pushed the door open shedding light into the room. There seemed to be movement in the shadows, as if the darkness was moving with a mind of its own.

He paused and turned, "Guards, stay here and guard the entrance. Logan, come with me." He then proceeded through the door. Out of the corner of his eye, the King glimpsed pinholes in the darkness; eyes it seemed like, watching them. Along the walls there were shelves filled with books, all covered in dust and cobwebs. Other shelves contained jars and glass containers filled with odd potions and fluids. From the look of it, it seemed as if no one had inhabited the tower for decades. Assuming it was safe, Logan and the King ascended the next staircase and continued deeper into the building. As the stairs climbed up around a corner there were rays of light. As they stepped into the light and reached the top of the stairs they saw a large outdoor platform and beyond, a walkway that led to another door leading into the second story of the tower. In the middle of this path stood a raised platform with symbols in the center.

"Well, there's our cullis gate. But how do we get it started?" Logan asked.

"From what I remember, cullis gates take a blast of Will to be activated." The King raised his hands and the glow of his hands became a deep blue and grew extremely bright. As he clenched his eyes shut, he flung his arms towards the cullis gate and a shock of bright blue lightning began flowing from his hands into the cullis gate. After a few moments the platform took on its own fluorescent glow.

"Good job, brother!"

"Logan, I will need you to take the thrown while I am away. How long I will be gone I do not know but if I succeed we will be one step closer to defeating the Crawler. I know I can trust you."

"Yes your highness. I will do my best to keep the peace in your absence." With a nod from Logan, the King stepped onto the cullis gate and began to focus his Will into it. He stood on the platform for several minutes, attempting to activate the gate with his Will. As he stood there, the glow of the gate flickered and suddenly it died out. Logan looked at the King with a puzzled look on his face.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure!" The King looked just as surprised as his brother. There was a sound and both Logan and the King's eyes shot to the entrance to the second floor of the tower.

"Did you hear that?"

"I did." It was faint, but both men heard a rustling from beyond the door. The king stepped off of the platform and began walking slowly towards the sound. Gently, he grabbed the handle, pulling the door open as silently as possible. Just as before, the King noticed the darkness moving and shifting as the light entered the room. Walking into the room the King saw a figure huddled in the corner covered in darkness. He would not have seen the figure had it not been covered in bright blue tracks running along its body.

"Who are you?" The King announced. "I am the King of Albion and I order you to make yourself known!" The figure stood, rising up into the light. His eyes were glowing and his face was colorless, as if he were a zombie.

"Who are you!" The King repeated himself. Out of nowhere a voice rang out in the silence.

"This is Garth, the mage who once lived in this tower." The King turned quickly, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword, preparing to attack. The voice was Theresa. How she arrived he did not know but he was glad to finally see her.

"Seer! I am so happy you are here. I have discovered the path to Wraithmarsh, but do not know how to access it. I tried to activate the cullis gate outside but it died out. Then we heard a noise from in here and found him."

"Yes. He has been missing for quite some time. My powers allow me to see many worlds, as well as the past and future. But Garth's whereabouts have been unknown to me since an incident between him and Reaver in Samarkand." She now turned from Garth to the King. "I am sorry for my absence. While away, I was searching for a way for you to expel the darkness from Wraithmarsh, and I do believe that I have found it. To complete your quest, you must destroy the Shadow Court. Their Will is what is keeping the light out of that region. Destroy them, and you will be successful in your quest."

"But how am I supposed to get to Wraithmarsh if I cannot even activate the cullis gate?"

"I believe I can help you with that." They all now turned back to Garth, whose voice was low and strained. His appearance had changed drastically. His eyes were no longer glowing and the color had returned to his face. "Only a very powerful master can activate this cullis gate, and so far I have been the only one successful in this task." The mage calmly walked out of the room and out into the open air. Stopping directly in front of the raised platform, he closed his eyes and raised his hands straight out at his sides. His hands began to glow, but much brighter than the King had ever seen. As Garth concentrated his Will, webs of electricity began to build their way up his arms to his shoulders. With great force, he slammed his hands together and the web of electricity shot down his arms and blasted the cullis gate with such power that the entire building shook, knocking small pieces of the weak ancient tower to the ground. Garth began to scream as the web of electricity turned into a beam of streaming of white hot power, as if it was pure Will that was shooting from him. Finally, after several minutes, the gate began to glow again, this time much brighter than before.

Slowly the stream of power began to dim, and Garth separated his hands and stood straight. "That should do it." Garth stepped back from the platform and looked towards the King. "Be prepared for what you may encounter over there. Shadow warriors you have fought, but there are far worse creatures in the mists of Wraithmarsh. You will find treachery there that no man should encounter."

The King looked at Garth with a sense of hopelessness, but he knew what his mission was. This is what all the past months of preparation had been for. Hesitantly he stepped onto the platform. This time he could feel the energy from the gate as he made contact with it. He closed his eyes and focused. He got a chill as if a rush of cold air blew straight through him, and in an instant the scene around him became blindingly bright. Logan, Theresa, Garth; they all disappeared in a flash of light.

Theresa now turned towards Garth. "Kalin, the leader of Aurora, has taken up residency in Bowerstone Castle as she hopes to lend a helpful hand when the time comes. Garth, will you please join Logan and return to the castle. When the attack comes, we will need all the help we can get if we hope to defeat the Crawler. Will you stay and fight once more?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"You will always have a choice. But we will desperately need your help if we are to win this battle."

"Oh alright, I will stay and fight if I must!" And with that Logan Garth descended the Tower. Logan turned to Theresa.

"Can we trust him? He seemed pretty out of it when we found him."

"Who knows the tortures he has been through. To be honest, I thought he had died years ago in Samarkand. I believe he will do fine in battle though." And with that, Theresa disappeared in a swirl of light. Logan sensed a feeling of distrust in Theresa's voice towards Garth even though her words seemed reassuring. He followed Garth down the tower and accompanied the royal guard back to Bowerstone Castle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

There was a flash in the darkness and over a mound of dirt a light began to grow. As it became brighter and brighter, it seemed to burn away the dirt and foliage that covered the mound below it revealing a seal engraved on a stone platform. Out of nowhere the King materialized, his feet dropping heavily on the stone beneath him.

Looking around, he saw nothing but darkness with only small spaces between the leaves on the trees that surrounded him. Cautiously, he stepped off of the seal beneath him and onto a dirt path. To the right it stretched into the woods and turned a corner. To the left the path continued under a large covered bridge and into a small circle of buildings half immersed in water. Slowly heading towards the buildings he reached behind his head and grasped the hilt of his sword, pulling it out of the sheathe strapped to his back.

As he approached the nearest structure, he noticed several figures standing in the middle of the circle. Getting closer, he saw that the figures had very little skin. The skin that did remain on their skeletal forms was rotting and hanging on to what seemed like nothing. They must have heard his footfalls in the shallow water. As he crept closer the figures turned towards him revealing their half rotten faces. Where eyes should have been there were deep cavities exposing decayed gray matter.

The monsters quickly began sprinting towards the King, raising long rusty blades over their heads. He prepared himself for battle now, grabbing the hilt of his sword with both hands and raising his it over his left shoulder. Awaiting the oncoming attack, the King began to focus his mind, melding his Will to the outline of his body, creating a physical shield around himself.

Swinging his blade, he landed a hard blow to the first attacker's head, shattering its jaw to pieces and it fell to the floor. The King skillfully weaved his sword through the air, rarely missing to land an attack. But he was soon overwhelmed with the hollow men, and was now taking hits from every direction. Each hit against the shield he had molded around himself drained his energy, and soon his concentration began to falter. His shield, which had a soft glow, was now beginning to dim and flicker and his attacks were slowing. With his final ounce of energy he forced his shield outward, pushing all of the hollow men surrounding him to the ground, many of them falling apart from the force of the impact. The few that were left intact were easily taken care of with a swing of his sword.

He swung his blade, beheading the final enemy and stood in readiness for another oncoming attack, but all that followed was an eerie silence. Looking around, he wondered which direction to head in. He knew he had to find the Shadow Court, but had no idea where to start looking. He remembered hearing legends of the Shadow Court but remembered nothing about their location.

Hearing a rustling in the distance, he turned towards the sound. Seeing only fog and mist, he was unsure of what made the sound. He slowly headed toward the sound, fearing the worst; hollow men, banshees, or even worse, shadow warriors. As he made his way through the fog he saw a tall shadow. He raised his sword, ready to take on whatever came out of the mist, but as he lifted his sword to strike, he noticed it was no shadow warrior, but a man; a tall man with a top hat and a coat with long tails trailing behind him.

"Reaver?" The man looked up and a surprised expression crossed his face.

"Y-your majesty! What a surprise to see you in such a dreary region of the world."

"Yes, I am here on business. And you?" The King gave Reaver a suspicious glance.

"I am here conducting business as well. What might you be doing here, if you don't mind me asking."

"The Crawler." Reaver gave a shudder as if a chill ran down his spine. "He has regained his strength and has planned another attack on Albion. Theresa, the seer of the Spire-"

"Oh yes, the blind broad. She always does have a way of sticking her nose into everyone's business, doesn't she?"

"Well, long story short, I am here to destroy the Shadow Court." The King was waiting for Reaver to give a chuckle as the Shadow Court was thought to be a silly myth by many people. This was mainly due to the fact that anyone who had seen them never lived to pass on their experience.

"Destroy? Oh, uh…Yes! Destroy the Shadow Court! Sounds like a damn fine plan in my opinion."

"What exactly is _your_ business here, Reaver?" Reaver began shifting his eyes from side to side.

"I have to admit to you, your highness. I too have been sent to destroy the Shadow Court. All that is needed is to enter that cavern there…" Reaver pointed up the path behind him and over to an old stone door, "and find the members of the Shadow Court and destroy them. I believe I am quite man enough for the job. You go back to your castle sir. I will dispatch of the Shadow Court and report to you immediately!"

The King knew that he was up to something. "No Reaver. I think I may accompany you in your battle. You may need my assistance in there."

"If that is your wish sir." A brief wave of disappointment came over Reaver as he waved the King up the path toward the large stone door. Unsure of his intentions, the King proceeded cautiously. The two men began walking up the old path together. Somewhere far off in the wilderness the howl of a balverine could be heard, causing Reaver's hand to shoot toward the handle of his gun that lay in a holster on his belt.

Running his fingers along the smooth wood in the handle of his pistol, a sudden thought came to him. Without a sound, the skilled man slowly removed the pistol from its holster, grabbing the gun by the barrel. Raising the pistol high above his head, Reaver brought the handle of the pistol down on the King's head like a club.

One moment, the King was going over a plan in his head; devising a way to reveal Reaver's true intentions here in Wraithmarsh. Before he knew what had happened the path before him became fuzzy and faded into blackness. He felt his body go limp as it thudded down into the dirt, his head slamming against the ground. He squinted his eyes, peering through the dirt that had landed on his face. Looking up, he saw Reaver standing above him. He raised his foot slowly and with great force shoved the heel of his boot into the King's face, causing blood to squirt from his nose. As the King rolled on the ground writhing in pain, Reaver brought his boot down a second time into the back of the King's head. This final blow was enough to knock him unconscious, and as everything went black he could feel Reaver dragging him toward the stone door that led to the caverns.

* * *

><p>As he came to, the King looked around. The ground underneath him was cold hard stone; he knew Reaver had brought him into the cave. How deep into the cave they were, he did not know. He could barely see as he opened his eyes wider, blood still dripping in his eyes and drying around his eyelids. There were footsteps around him, Reaver's no doubt, and a low mumbling. The King could just make out his attacker pacing from side to side next to him. It appeared as though he were speaking to the wall that was in front of him.<p>

"….I know this wasn't here before! This tunnel opened up into a large cavern, not a dead end!" He now began pounding on the wall with his fist, breaking the skin over his knuckles, causing his hands to drip with blood.

"Looks like you won't be making your sacrifice." The King propped himself up on one arm, his other arm outstretched towards Reaver, palm pointed directly at his chest. Reaver's hand shot to his waist, quickly grabbing for his pistol, but not before a bolt of lightning shot from the King's hand and struck Reaver directly in the chest.

Flying backwards and slamming into the wall, small bolts of electricity spread from Reaver's body and onto the stone he made impact with. The wall began to glow dimly with a blue light, illuminating the small cavern they were in, and slowly the wall began to rise into the ceiling. They both stared at the wall as it rose upward. The King realized that it must take a blast of Will to open the door, as the cullis gate did.

As the King tried to lift himself off of the stone ground, his head began to pound and the cave around him was spinning. As he got to his feet and began to walk, his legs gave out and he fell back to the floor. Looking over at Reaver a few inches from him on the floor, trying to stay conscious after the powerful blast, the King gently laid his hands on Reaver's skin. Screaming in pain, Reaver's veins began to bulge as his skin pulled tight. It looked as though he was being drained of his life force. The screaming stopped as Reaver fainted, and the wounds on the King's head slowly began to close.

The King tried to stand again, his head not spinning nearly as much now. He took a deep breath as the last of his wounds healed and his nose snapped back into place. He wiped the blood from his eyes, squinting to see in the darkness of the cave. Looking further down the passage, he could see that the path lead to a narrow opening.

Squinting in the darkness, he began following the passage leaving Reaver unconscious at the entrance. As he made his way closer to the opening at the end of the passage, there was a dim light. Soon he entered a large cavern. The ground continued about fifteen feet beyond the opening at the end of the passage before cutting off at a steep cliff. Beyond this abrupt drop was a deep gorge; so deep all the King could see below was blackness. Above there was no ceiling, but an opening so high the light didn't even touch him. As he looked around the cavern he saw a platform on the opposite side of the gorge with three chairs in the middle that looked as though they were carved from stone.

Approaching the edge of the cliff, the King stepped on something small and round. Bending over to pick it up, he saw that it was a small metal disc, quickly realizing that it was a seal. Holding it in his palm, he gave it a small shock of Will energy and the small rusted emblem began to shine. This was a guild seal. As he began wondering how it worked, he was interrupted by a booming voice from across the cavern.

"WELCOME! WELCOME!" The booming voice echoed off the cavern walls. The King jumped, looking across the cavern to the other platform. There were now three shadowy figures sitting in the stone chairs; their eyes glowing brightly in the darkness. In an instant, countless torches ignited along the walls of the cavern.

"Is this who the King of Thieves has sent to us? You barely have any youth to trade! And you do not carry the Dark Seal. Are you perhaps an innocent victim who has stumbled upon our realm?"

"No, I am the King of Albion! And I have come to expel you from my kingdom! To reclaim this region for light! I order you to leave this place and return to the Void where you belong!"

"HAHAHAHA! Silly mortal! We take orders from one master. AND THAT IS NOT YOU!" These words nearly knocked the King off his feet. In an instant the shadows thrown across the room from the firelight, began to morph and move unnaturally. Soon they took the shape of bodies. The King was now surrounded by shadowy figures, all with bright glowing eyes, and swords and pistols aimed at him.

Placing the small seal in a pouch attached to his armor, he pulled his sword out of its sheath, arming himself for battle. As the shadow warriors inched closer and closer, preparing for the King to make his move, the King began to focus his mind. The stone floor was soon turning red with heat, and as the shadow warriors realized what the King was doing, they began their attack. The shadow men were closing in. The closest to the King began to raise his word to strike, but before he could, the ground below him erupted in flames launching him backwards. Soon the entire platform they were standing on was engulfed in flames shooting up from the ground, bombarding the shadow warriors, knocking many of them off the edge into the gorge.

The flames giving him time to formulate a plan, he focused his Will again. The shadow warriors that were left continued their attack, however their movements became slower and slower, until soon they were barely moving at all. The King was now slashing wildly at the Shadow men, dismembering each. But there wasn't enough time to kill them all before they all started moving at their normal pace. By this time though, the King had killed enough so that he could handle the remaining Shadow men.

He killed the final warrior, and turned towards the other platform, where the Court was watching the battle. Pulling his pistol out of its holster, he unloaded a shot at each of the Court judges, but there was no affect.

"Do you really think that physical weapons could harm us? If so, we would have been banished to the Void ages ago! If you think you can banish us from this place you are sorely mistaken!" There was a rumble from below and the King holstered his pistol as he looked down into the gorge. As the rumbling came closer, it looked as though the darkness of the bottomless pit was writhing. Two red pinholes became visible in the darkness, and began growing larger and larger. As the darkness of the gorge began to rise closer to the platform, the King took a few steps backwards.

With a rush of wind, the shadow rose up past the platform, beating large scaled wings. Hovering in front of the King, moving slowly up and down with each beat of its wings, was a large transparent dragon, formed entirely of darkness and shadow. The King slowly raised his sword, waiting for the dragon to make the first move.

Drawing its head back, the dragon took a deep long breath, and exhaled with a loud roar. The King quickly dove to the left, dodging a narrow jet of dark shadowy flames. Drawing his pistol again, the King began firing wildly at the dragon aiming for the heart and the head, hoping to do some damage, but the bullets flew right through the dragon as if it wasn't even there. Realizing that the dragon, like the Court judges, could not be hurt by physical weapons, he holstered his pistol and slid his sword back into its sheath. He dove again, this time to the right, dodging another jet of black transparent flames.

As the cavern was so narrow, the King felt he had a chance and began running towards the edge of the platform. When he came within a few inches of the edge, he gave a great leap and reached his arms out wide, praying they would make contact with the scales of the dragon. Luckily they did, and he began to climb the dangling leg of the dragon as it beat its wings harder and began to rise up into the cavern roaring.

Crawling carefully from the dragon's leg and up to its back, he made it to the shoulder blades, just between the wings. Straddling the creature's shoulders he raised his hands in the air and brought them down forcefully with a great clap of thunder. The dragon roared in pain, blowing large flames into the air as the King's shock ran through its body.

The King reached back and pulled out his sword. As he raised it to attack, he shot strong volts of Will energy through the blade making it glow, sparks coming off the shining metal. He brought down the sword and plunged it into the dragon's back, causing the creature even greater pain, and giving it great difficulty in beating its wings. The dragon was now no longer rising higher into the cavern, but was now slowly dropping as its wings became weaker. Looking down, the King could see the platform coming in closer again. Preparing to jump off the beast, he raised the sword over his left shoulder and swung it directly at the dragon's neck, severing its head. Then he launched himself off of the creature.

Landing on the platform hard, he fell to the ground and rolled as far from the edge as he could get. As the dragon fell past the platform one of its great wings smashed against the stone, causing it to crack and break. The King now found himself on the wrong side of the crack and tried to roll towards the stone that was still intact, but he was too late. The broken piece of stone was now falling into the gorge with the King on top of it. Grabbing for the ledge, he hung on to the remaining platform and was now dangling. With great difficulty he pulled himself up and stood, breathing heavily.

The Court judges were now standing from their chairs infuriated that their Shadow dragon had been defeated. With his last bit of strength, the King raised his hands over his head and focused his Will. Twenty faint shapes began to take form above the King that soon resembled sharp small daggers. As the King focused harder the daggers became solid and the King used his mind to catapult the daggers towards the Court judges.

Raising their arms to block the blows, the judges flinched but it was too late. They were bombarded by these supernatural blades, and two of them fell to the floor, their bodies' limp, before vanishing in a wisp of smoke. The remaining Court judge had several blades protruding from his arms and legs, but didn't seem to be phased by them. Slowly he backed into the shadows until all the King could see of him was his white glowing eyes. Then the two white pinholes faded into blackness.

"DESTROY MY DRAGON! SLAUGHTER MY BRETHREN? YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR MISTAKES FILTHY MORTAL!" The judges voice was booming so loud the entire cavern began to shake and pieces of stone began falling from the walls. The entrance was slowly being blocked and it seemed as though the entire cave was going to collapse. The King turned to run towards the exit, but standing directly in front of the passage was the final judge. He was no longer a shadowy figure, but now had physical form; a tall man whose face was shrouded in darkness from his hooded cloak. From what the King could see of his feet and hands, it looked as though the judge was wearing armor underneath his cloak, the boots coming to a sharp point, and each finger armed with a large metal claw.

Raising one clawed hand, the judge let out a high pitched roar, sending a large bolt of lightning at the King sending him flying across the gorge to the other platform. He slammed against the middle stone chair smashing it in two. The King struggled to stand after this devastating blow, but as he got to his feet, the judge quickly appeared next to him. Grabbing the King by the throat, he lifted him up into the air and prepared to throw him over the edge of the platform.

There was a loud crack in the air and the King fell to the floor as the judge's grasp loosened. Seeing a small round hole in the judge's head, the King looked toward the source of the loud crack and saw Reaver standing at the entrance to the cavern, his pistol raised. The judge wavered from side to side before falling to his knees, and finally landing face down on the stone floor. Getting to his feet, the King kicked the judge over the edge of the platform and watched him fall into the blackness of the gorge.

As though a heavy curtain had been pulled back, the opening at the top of the cavern began to shine brighter, the fog and mist of Wraithmarsh dissipating. The King watched Reaver, waiting for his aim to shift to him, but it didn't. Instead, Reaver's pistol hit the ground as he began gasping for air. His skin began to wrinkle, his hair turned white, and his body crumpled inwards on itself and fell to the ground as the life was quickly drained from his body. The Court was the reason Reaver had his immortality, so their destruction had been the thing that had killed him.

Now looking across the gorge, wondering how he was going to escape the cavern, the King remembered the seal he had placed in his pouch. Taking it out, he remembered that these seals could be used for many things, including teleportation. Concentrating hard on returning to his castle in Bowerstone, the King squeezed the seal in his hand and poured as much Will as he had left into it. Glowing blue within his hand, the seal started to become warm. Soon the King became engulfed in blue lights, surrounding him entirely and the scene around him disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Garth! I _really _ think that we should begin deploying battalions out to the outer regions of the kingdom. Without military support, the isolated settlements are in grave danger!" Logan's face was red with anger as he screamed at the mage.

"Aurora is where your troops should be. That is where the Crawler attacked before, that is where we should worry about now!"

"This is ridiculous. What makes you think you can order our military? You may have been a great help decades ago, but you have been gone for a long time! I will be making the decisions until the King returns!" As Logan finished his sentence, the map room filled with blue light, and a figure took shape between the two fighting men. Slowly the figure took shape of the King, and the bright glow died down and disappeared.

"KING!" Logan's face showed great relief.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Almost three days your highness."

"Three days! In Wraithmarsh the days and nights are almost identical. And I ran into trouble while I was there. Reaver-"

"Reaver!"

"Yes. He caught me off guard. Probably planned to use me for some sort of sacrifice to the Shadow Court. No luck though. I destroyed them."

"You were successful then?"

"Yes. The Shadow Court has been banished to the Void and no longer has any hold over Wraithmarsh. I want to reestablish the roads to Bloodstone as soon as possible, and maybe even start reconstruction of the town that once stood there. What was it called?"

"Oakvale, I believe."

"Well I want to begin the reconstruction. However, I think that can all wait until after the attack. We must reserve all of our resources for more important things." Logan's face took on a look of worry.

"King, I was unsure of how long you would be gone. I ordered several battalions of soldiers to report to the outer territories. I'm not sure how long we can hold off an attack, but the support will help. Some battalions have been delayed however. The generals who were supposed to lead them into battle have either disappeared or turned up dead. I believe we have a saboteur in our midst." The King looked as though he was in deep thought. Dirty, exhausted, and still spattered with blood, his mind was in no condition to handle sabotage.

"Until this unknown individual makes a mistake and reveals themselves we will have no clue who it is. For now we will wait. Logan, I trust you have made our guest comfortable," said the King nodding towards Garth.

"Oh yes, this castle is much more extravagant than I remember it years ago," said Garth.

"Very good. Tonight we will rest and tomorrow we can come up with a plan to reveal this secret enemy's identity." And with that the King quietly walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks the dead generals were replaced and an investigation was begun, attempting to find their killer. The investigation was unsuccessful however and no culprit was ever found. As there had been no new killings since the beginning of the investigation, there was no new evidence to go over, and the trail went cold. As far as anyone could tell the killer was hiding somewhere in the castle, but no one knew where.<p>

The King had ordered several battalions out to the isolated settlements and villages of Albion. By this time many in the castle believed this to be pointless. Many people from all over the country had either decided to relocate closer to Bowerstone with their King, or had decided to leave Albion altogether.

Clearing his mind before retiring for the night, the King strolled through the castle thinking of nothing but which direction he would turn at the next dead end. Before long, he found himself in the large castle garden overlooking the city of Bowerstone. As he stared blankly at the houses, buildings, and warehouses billowing smoke into the air he heard a crash from within an open window high above him in the castle. Turning towards the nearest entrance, the King ran for the castle quickly finding his way to the map room where the crash originated.

Approaching the door to the map room the King slowed to a walk and cautiously pushed it open. In a large puddle of blood lay a dead body, and standing over it was a figure with veins of blue light running down his arms; Garth. Turning to look at who had entered the room, Garth moved aside revealing the body to the King.

"Why Garth? Why would you kill Logan?" But Garth no longer looked like himself. As before when they first found him, Garth's gaze looked vacant, his stare blank. His eyes had a slight red glow to them, and he did not speak. A malicious smile came over his face and he raised one arm, aiming his palm at the King. Before the King could even think of a defense, a large wave of Will energy erupted from Garth's palm, slamming into the King and knocking him back into the hall.

"That damn woman! The seer! I thought I had dispatched of this mage mysteriously enough so no one would suspect his death. Returning in his body would have been much easier. But she found me out." Unsure of what Garth was talking about, the King prepared himself for another attack.

"Garth, what are you talking about?"

"Don't you understand by now! How you became King I will never know! You killed me before, when I possessed Walter. But he was weak. This mage, he is strong! With him I can do so much more!" Sending a large bolt of lightning at the King, Garth knocked him to the ground again. Curled up in pain the King slowly raised an arm towards Garth and sent a small burst of flames towards the mage. The spell had little effect.

"Pathetic! Although against this kind of power almost anything would be." Garth gave an evil laugh. Unsure of what to do, the King staid on the ground as Garth continued.

"Destroying this world will be no trouble at all in this form. I will start with _your _precious country I think." Looking over the map in the center of the room, Garth began contemplating where to start his attack.

"First thing I think will be to destroy this castle, this city! Soon, all that will be left is a burning pile of rubble." Slowly walking over to the ball on the floor that was the King, Garth now aimed a large bolt of lightning directly at his head smashing it into the floor. The stone underneath the King's head was cracked and covered in blood and the King lay motionless. Slowly Garth walked out of the room.

The King was on the edge of consciousness and unable to move. Somewhere beyond his field of vision, something began to fill the room with light, but only for a moment before it died out. Trying see where the light had come from, he strained his eyes as far as possible. A figure walked into his field of vision; it was Theresa.

"I am sorry this had to happen. If I had sensed Garth's true nature in time I could have stopped all this. Now it seems your time has passed and I must find another way to defeat the Crawler. You were a great warrior and now I must take that great talent from you so I can pass it on to another hero." Grazing the back of her hand gently on the King's cheek a green substance seemed to ooze from him and was absorbed quickly into Theresa's hand. Taking a deep breath she slowly closed the King's now lifeless eyes and disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

><p>Garth strolled out of the castle entrance casually, nodding at the guards standing there. Turning slowly he took a long look at the castle before raising both hands above his head. A black fluid slowly began to pour from every pore, and soon Garth was no longer standing on the ground, but was being lifted up by this black liquid.<p>

The guards drew their swords, running to attack Garth but they were slammed by a large wave of the black fluid and forced backwards into the castle wall. Soon the puddle of fluid was so large it began flooding the entrance hall of the castle. Black pillars began rising from the puddle, smashing through the walls and pillar of the castle. In minutes there were hundreds of these pillars smashing through the structure, causing entire sections of the castle to crumble and fall.

Maids, cooks, guards, and butlers all tried fleeing from the castle but most were crushed by large pieces of the castle or swept back into the ruins by a wave of the black fluid pouring from Garth. It didn't take long before the entire castle lay in piles of rubble strewn with dead bodies. The black fluid slowly retreated from the ruins, making their way back towards Garth.

Looking around at the empty space that was once a magnificent castle, at the destruction he had caused, Garth slowly turned and headed toward the city below, thoughts of destruction and death on his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Wind and snow blew her hood back as Theresa materialized in a flash of blue light. Her bright red hair stood out against the thick layer of snow covering every surface around her. She was now standing in the middle of a forest that was in a deep freeze. Taking in her new surroundings, she pulled her hood back over her head and held it in place with her right hand, her left hand wrapped tightly around her stomach to protect her against the wind. Slowly she began walking through the trees, heading in the direction she knew would lead her to her destination.

After an hour of walking, she finally came to a large staircase carved in stone with a tall wooden gate at the top. She climbed the stairs slowly and wrapped on the gate with her fist. After minutes of waiting with no response she pounded her fist again and pressed her ear against the cold wood, listening for any sounds of movement on the other side but there was nothing. She laid her hand flat against the gate and thought of nothing but forcing it open. In an instant it flew off of its hinges and into a small cul-de-sac of buildings, shattering the windows of what seemed to be a small shop.

Looking around, Theresa saw nothing but broken windows, abandoned houses, and empty streets. Every building she could see had begun to crumble and crack, falling into disrepair after decades of inactivity and lack of maintenance. This was Snowspire Village. Under the rule and tyranny of Logan, the people of Snowspire were overlooked and ignored. Because the small village lies on the outermost regions of Albion, Logan felt no need to keep the town alive, and the villagers were forced to abandon it. Now the village lies in ruins, with rumors spreading across the country that it is haunted.

Wandering the streets of this dilapidated town, Theresa began searching. Making her way deeper into the small town, she finally came to a large circle enclosed by a tall stone wall. Towering over her was a large stone structure with three large faces carved into it, and four yellow symbols.

"Great Oracle! I need your guidance. My powers of foresight are just not great enough to see the destiny of Albion. What should I do?" The symbols on the cliff face began to glow brightly, and the middle face began to speak.

"After all these years, I thought we had been all but forgotten. And now we have yet another questioning soul looking for answers. You are no ordinary human though. You have greatness within that very few possess; greatness that we have seen only a handful of times, your brother being one of them." Flashing back to a time when she was so much younger, Theresa saw her brother, a great hero, defeating Jack of Blades. He too had once stood on this very spot seeking guidance.

"Oracle, the Crawler has returned."

"We know this! We also know you have come seeking knowledge on destroying this great threat. Why should we help you? Even with our prophecies and predictions you humans always find a way to create destruction and death. We were created to help you abolish these plagues on your society; to help you keep peace and civility in these lands. And yet there is violence and death every day. The tyranny of one man alone caused this town to become desolate and deserted."

"Your greatness is not unappreciated, Oracle! But without your help I cannot defeat this great enemy. If you let the Crawler destroy this world we will never have the chance to show you that we can be peaceful; that civility can be the law of the land. But this monster; he is the reason for much anger and violence. Once he is gone we may be able to change things back to the way they were, when we were ruled by a humble king. When this world was peaceful."

"You remind us very much of someone we once knew. The great Archon; he too believed in peace. Maybe, like him, you can help protect this world so you can once again prove humans are not a plague on this world. We will help you." The eyes of each of the three faces became faintly illuminated for several minutes, and then slowly died out.

"The answers you seek lie with a great hero; one of the oldest and wisest. To defeat your enemy you will need his help."

"Who is this great hero? Where will I find him?"

"He goes by many names. In these modern times he prefers to be called Scythe. As for where you can find him, even we are unsure. We can see where he is at this very moment, but he is a wanderer; a nomad. By the time you reach him, he could be on the other side of the world."

"How does he do this?"

"He has an old rare relic that allows him to use his control of the Will to transport himself great distances. It is from the time you were a child actually. It is an old seal; the sign of the Heroes Guild. Do you remember?" Smiling slightly, Theresa dug her ice cold hands into the neck line of her cloak and pulled out a thick leather rope tied around her neck. Attached to the rope was a small metal disc with a symbol engraved on it.

"Very well," the middle face said. The eyes of the faces began to glow faintly again and died out just as fast as before.

"Scythe can be found in Samarkand; in the village of Timur. You will have no trouble finding him once you have arrived. The people of this village know him well as William Black."

* * *

><p>In Samarkand, the air is humid and the weather is warm. The streets of Timur were rough and unpaved in most areas, with deep tracks in the dirt where carriages have run through countless times. Theresa walked the streets of the village, probing the minds of the inhabitants. Scythe was old and powerful and Theresa knew it was unlikely she would be able to detect him using her Will. The citizens of Samarkand seemed so different to Theresa. In this country there was no chance of immediate attack and the people were much more relaxed. In Albion, the streets were now empty most of the time. When someone was seen walking the streets, they had a look of worry and fear on their face, as if they were about to be struck down at any moment.<p>

After no trace of Scythe could be found, Theresa decided to begin asking around. Making a sharp turn, she walked through the entrance of a pub. With every seat taken, and almost every surface covered in mugs filled with ale, the pub was noisy and hectic. She made her way up to the bar, stepping through puddles of beer and squeezing through crowds of people.

"How can I help ya, missy," the bartender asked loudly.

"I am looking for a man named William Black." The bartender stopped what he was doing.

"And just why might ya be looking for him now?"

"My business with him is not your concern. Do you know where I can find him?" The bartender eyed the mysterious woman curiously before deciding that she seemed trustworthy.

"Head out of town through the south gate, and follow the road until you reach the Karmana forest. William Black lives in a small cottage only miles beyond the edge of the woods. Be cautious though; his student is dangerous."

"I can take care of myself."

"Miss, I can see your eyes are bad. How do you expect-"

"Don't worry about me." Theresa stepped away from the bar and pressed her way back through the crowd and out the door into the street.

She followed the road out the south gate and past the stables that lay just outside the village walls. Eventually the village of Timur could no longer be seen over the hills and fields, and Theresa was soon walking through the balmy night of Samarkand. It wasn't long before she reached the edge of the forest and began making her way between the trees and wildlife. She began sensing another Will user in the forest. Leaving the road, Theresa turned and began making her way through the uncharted forest.

She followed the mind of the other Will user for some time before it disappeared altogether. Stopping dead in her tracks, Theresa began to listen to the sounds of the forest. The trees were so thick the moonlight couldn't even penetrate it, and it was pitch black around her. This didn't matter though because she didn't need light to see her enemies. But never had a foe disappeared so suddenly. Before she knew what was happening she heard footsteps to her left and in an instant she was knocked to the ground.

"STOP!" Theresa was yelling as loud as she could. She could hear her voice echoing through the woods, but could no longer hear her attacker's footsteps.

"I have come here for your help!"

"I doubt that." It was not the deep voice of Scythe that Theresa was expecting. Instead it was the voice of a woman; a familiar voice. Focusing harder to see in the dark, Theresa began to make her out. Slowly she came into focus; a woman who looked to be in her seventies and yet obviously still in great physical shape. Wielding a long sharp sword and a rifle strapped to her back, the woman stood poised to attack.

"I know who you are. You have the blood of heroes running through your veins, as did your brother. Your Little Sparrow did great things with his gifts, but what have you done Rose?" For a moment there was nothing but silence, but Theresa now sensed anger coming from the woman. She now sensed a feeling of anger and rage.

"You. You're the blind woman. You ruined your our lives!"

"No! Look at what you have become!"

"What? What have I become? An old woman with no family!"

"A hero!"

"A hero? No, in Albion I have may have become a hero. But heroes have no place here!" Raising her sword, Rose began her attack again. Before the blade made contact with Theresa a powerful blast of energy radiated from her body, throwing Rose backwards into a tree.

"Rose, you don't have the strength to fight me." Theresa lifted herself off the ground as Rose ran at her, sword raised again. Swinging her arm towards Rose, Theresa flung a large bolt of lightning at Rose and sent her flying backwards again.

"Stop this now!" A large booming voice echoed through the trees, and a new figure had appeared in the woods.

"Rose, what is happening here?"

"William! This woman, she is the one I told you about all those years ago. The one that caused all this!"

"That is ridiculous."

"No! She-"

"Rose, go back to the cottage."

"But-"

"GO!" Rose gave the man a fearful look. The man looked old and his face was misshapen. As he walked towards Rose, Theresa could see that his body seemed crippled.

"Go back and I will meet you there later. Don't worry about me." Slowly Rose slid her sword into its sheath and walked off into the woods.

"A lot of strength in that one," Theresa said as she turned towards the man.

"Yes, but even after all these years she still has little control over that strength. And even after all her training, she has very little control of her Will. Strange to see from one that came from such a bloodline." The man shifted his gaze from the direction Rose headed towards Theresa.

"You too come from this bloodline."

"Yes."

"And you have come for my help."

"Yes."

"I have what you seek, even if you do not know what it is you are looking for."

"I am looking for a way to defeat-"

"The Crawler. Yes, I know the danger Albion lies in. I foresaw this threat long ago, and decided to leave that country. After many long centuries I seem to have given up any hope I once had for its people."

"But you are William Black."

"Yes, and I have seen my share of war. I have defeated many foes and even fought in another world, leaving me scarred and deformed. My time is over and you must now take over. I once held the title of Archon, but not since the Old Kingdom was destroyed. But you are of my bloodline, as was your brother and his descendants. This means that you must defeat this threat."

"But how? I have used my powers, looked into the future, and even looked beyond this world for anyway to defeat the Crawler, and still I know very little. Even my Spire has provided me little information."

"He must be defeated in his own realm. He must be killed in the Void." Scythe held his hand out as if to hand Theresa something and an old tattered book appeared in his hands.

"This tome will teach you how to enter the Void. You must find the Crawler and bring him there. Then you will be able to defeat him." Theresa reached out and took the book from him.

"Thank you."

"Be wary. The Void is an evil place. Going there will not leave you unaffected. Once you return to this world your life will be changed forever." Scythe turned his back on Theresa and slowly made his way into the woods in the same direction Rose headed.

Theresa had now found what she was looking for; a way to finally defeat the Crawler for good.


End file.
